Mourinho refuses to comment on Bodo/Glimt controversy

accuse

goalkeeping coach

Nuno Santos

assaulted

Kjetil Knutsen

, the head coach, physically after the battle against the two side’s came down to a 2-1 victory for the Norwegian side.

UEFA suspended Knutsen and Nuno Santo for tomorrow’s clash.

In a press conference,

Jose Mourinho

talked about Leonardo Spinazzola before the second leg on Thursday.

“Spinazzola is not yet able to start a game, but we are all. Bodø have quality, they’re starting 2-1 but it’s nothing new.

“On Sunday we lost 1-0 against Salernitana, we have 90 minutes to win. It will be difficult but we are prepared and I am very confident in my team.”

He does not believe that there is tension surrounding the duel tomorrow.

“I haven’t seen my players tense. The first defeat was historic for the club, but we had an exemplary behaviour about it, we had fair-play. Usually, a person reacts in a negative way while we reacted with honour despite the humiliation.

“We played two more games with them, there were no difficulties and what happened last Thursday is out of context. The game and the end of the game was normal, after 45 minutes everything was normal, there was only one bad episode but it was isolated.

“We want the semi-final like they do, I expect a great game with the advantage of having our own stadium, with our own fans who can make the difference.

“We want to play football like we did in the other games and in the one we lost 6-1 we were exemplary. May the best team win, I am convinced that we are the best.”

The ex-Chelsea boss insisted how important substitutes are in European games.

“The bench is very very important, I think exactly the opposite of what I thought in times of difficulty. We had few solutions, today instead we have 4-5-6 players with a lot of experience as starters and with quality.

“With Salernitana, who were very defensive, we needed other tactical solutions and freshness, without that bench it would have been impossible to win the game. Tomorrow there are 5-6 changes to be made and if we get there it will mean that only five will play 120 minutes.

“On the ‘exaggerated’ bench, I go to one of the oldest principles of propaganda, a lie that you keep repeating eventually passes as a truth. But it remains a lie.”

The Portuguese tactician doesn’t believe that there can be a dramatic comeback at the Stadio Olimpico.

“We lost by a small margin, it’s 2-1 to them, we don’t need to make a dramatic comeback. We need to score a goal to even the score, there wasn’t even time to prepare something totally different.

“There are no tactical surprises to be presented, at the end of the first half of the match against Salernitana I told the lads to stay calm because we were one goal down and we had 45 minutes, now we have 90 minutes.

“We’ve trained penalties, but we don’t want to go to penalties. They have a good team and we have to respect them.”

The coach also expressed his opinion on how much the fans’ support meant to him.

“I was impressed even when there was only 50% of the capacity to see people in the streets watching us on the journey between Trigoria and the Olimpico. I’m always impressed by people’s passion for their club.

“Now that we have the chance to play in full capacity, even though we’re not playing for the Scudetto, it’s great to see that passion. The players have to respond and feel the responsibility, that’s pure passion. Mancini? He’s fine, he’ll be available.”

However, he did not talk about the claims made by Bodo/Glimt that Roma started the clash between the duo.

“I don’t think about it, UEFA thinks about it. I don’t decide, UEFA decides.”

When quizzed whether something could have been different, Mourinho had an easy answer.

“Of course.”

“I have nothing to say.”

The Roma coach had no thoughts about the infamous video showing what happened in the tunnel.

“None.”

Mourinho also denied the suggestions that the previous tie was psychological.

“I don’t talk about other people’s comments, if you want to ask me another question, ask it.”

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